Extraordinary places where people live in unusual ways
Most cities on the planet are arranged in approximately the same way: roads, houses, shops, work, traffic jams, and people who are constantly in a hurry. But there are places where the usual urban logic works quite differently. In these cities, people live in conditions that, for most, look strange, extreme, and simply impossible.
1. Coober Pedy, Australia — a city underground
In this city, people live literally underground. The reason is simple: the surface temperature can exceed 45-50 degrees in summer. That’s why houses, shops, hotels, and even churches are dug right out of the rocks. Underground rooms keep a comfortable temperature all year round, so this lifestyle has long been the norm for local residents.
2. Auroville, India — a city without money
This city was conceived as an experiment: a place where people from different countries live without the usual economic system. There are no standard salaries or trading in the usual sense. Many things are distributed within the community, and residents try to live according to the principles of cooperation and minimal consumption. The project has been around for decades and still attracts people from all over the world.
3. Longyearbyen, Norway — a city where you can’t die
This city is located on the Svalbard archipelago. Due to permafrost, bodies in the ground almost do not decompose, so the cemetery was closed in the last century. The dead and people with serious illnesses are usually sent to the mainland. There are other unusual rules.: Residents are required to carry weapons with them, because polar bears may appear at any moment.
4. Giethoorn, the Netherlands — a village without roads
There are no highways here in the usual sense. Instead, there are canals through which residents travel by boat. The houses are connected by small bridges and footpaths. The city is often called “Dutch Venice”, but unlike tourist centers, people really live here, not just travelers.
5. Whittier, USA — A city in one house
In this city, almost all residents live in one 14-storey building. It houses apartments, a shop, a post office, a police station, and even a school. The reason for this format is the harsh climate of Alaska. It’s just more convenient to live and work in one place.
6. Centralia, USA — a city that has been burning for decades
A coal seam has been burning under this city since 1962. The fire spreads underground and periodically comes to the surface through cracks. Because of this, most of the residents have long since left the city. But a few people still live there, despite the smoke and danger.
7. Chefchaouen, Morocco — completely blue city
Almost all the buildings here are painted in different shades of blue. Why this happened is unclear to the end. According to one version, this is a tradition brought by Jewish immigrants. On the other hand, the color helps to scare away insects. Anyway, the city looks like one huge bucket of paint has been poured on it.
8. Monovi, USA — a village of one inhabitant
This is probably the smallest settlement in the world. There is only one person living here, Elzy Isler. She is also the mayor, librarian, and owner of the only bar. Monowee has become a popular symbol of “disappearing America,” small rural communities that have become extinct due to economic change and migration.
9. Setenil de las Bodegas, Spain — the city inside the rocks
In this Andalusian city, many houses are literally built into huge rocks. Stone canopies serve as a natural roof, so the buildings are partially located inside the mountain. In summer, such houses remain cool even in extreme heat, and the streets look as if huge blocks of stone are hovering directly over the heads of passers-by.
10. Rjukan, Norway — a city where the sun does not fall
This city is located in a deep valley, so from September to March the sun does not hit the streets at all. To solve the problem, giant mirrors were installed on a nearby mountain. They reflect sunlight and direct it to the central square of the city.
11. Manshiyat Nasser, Egypt — the city of scavengers
This area in Cairo is known as the “Garbage City”. A community of people who have been sorting and recycling waste for decades lives here. They collect garbage all over the city and then recycle it at home. Despite the difficult conditions, the recycling system here works more efficiently than in many developed countries.
12. Oil Rocks, Azerbaijan, is a city in the middle of the sea
This city is built right on the oil platforms in the Caspian Sea. There are roads on stilts, residential buildings, shops, and even parks. All of them are connected by metal trestles that extend tens of kilometers into the sea.
